Bundaberg 10-Year Action Plan Fact Sheet — Bundaberg East Levee

Bundaberg 10-year Action Plan Fact sheet — Bundaberg East Levee The project Progress Site investigations and surveys have progressed since The Queensland Government is progressing the the launch of the action plan and several design options Bundaberg 10-year Action Plan to determine have been assessed. how best to reduce flood risk in the Bundaberg region and improve the safety of the Bundaberg The concept designs took into consideration feedback community. from previous consultation with stakeholders in the community during 2015 and 2016. Together with Funding of $4M has been allocated to progress community feedback, the proposed design was flood mitigation initiatives and develop the workshopped with key authorities including Bundaberg 10-year Action Plan which will build on projects Regional Council, Department of Transport and Main previously undertaken by the Bundaberg Regional Roads, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Council. Together with input from the local Queensland Parks and Wildlife and Queensland community, experts and government, the action Reconstruction Authority. plan will address cost-effective flood mitigation solutions for the people of Bundaberg, their Key features of the levee homes, businesses and the local economy. • proposed new levee to consist of two segments: The four projects in the action plan aim to deliver • City alignment benefits for affected residents and businesses • Sugar Mill alignment during a flood event. These projects include a mix of works that involve changing flood behaviour • flood doors for vehicle and pedestrian access and measures that will enable residents to through the levee wall respond to a flood event. • pump station with flood gates and separate equipment building at Saltwater Creek crossing • flood gates at Distillery Creek crossing Bundaberg East Levee • trash racks at the pump station to protect capacity and prevent debris interfering with operation of the We are currently in the concept design stage of this pump project for a proposed new levee that will run parallel to the southern bank of the Burnett River and across • possible emergency access and egress for local Saltwater Creek and a small unnamed creek behind the residents at Petersen Street sugar mill and distillery known locally as Distillery Creek. Benefits of the levee The proposed levee will be made up of a concrete wall The proposed concept plan aims to benefit the that would be about the level of a flood event like 2013. community by: There will be two main sections; the city alignment and the sugar mill alignment. • increasing flood protection from a Burnett River flood event similar to 2013 levels The City alignment would be approximately one kilometre long, beginning at the northern edge of Quay • mitigating damage from a Burnett River flood within Street near the intersection with Toonburra Street, Bundaberg East, Bundaberg South and the CBD across Bundaberg Creek and following Quay Street East without increasing flood issues in other areas of to the intersection of Scotland Street. The alignment Bundaberg then follows Scotland Street to the intersection of Cran • delivering a flood resilient community for future Street. generations The Sugar Mill alignment is approximately 700 metres • enhancing future economic development and long and extends from the intersection of Cran Street opportunities for both Bundaberg and the Wide Bay and Scotland Street running east along Cran Street, then Region parallel to the river bank ending north of the Sugar Mill. • opportunity for the community to provide input to the A pump station, flood gate and separate equipment social amenity and local use in Bundaberg East building is proposed to be constructed at the Saltwater • potential new pedestrian and cycle path across Creek crossing with a flood gate at the Distillery Creek Saltwater Creek. crossing. Not government policy Stay informed Visit: www.qld.gov.au/bundabergactionplan Email: [email protected] Bundaberg 10-year Action Plan Fact sheet — Bundaberg East Levee Why has the proposed concept design changed from the original proposal? Based on feedback from the community and from local government and authorities, CDM Smith investigated three different options for the proposed City alignment and two for the proposed Sugar Mill alignment as part of their assessment. CDM Smith recommended: • City alignment along northern edge of Quay Street, and • Sugar Mill alignment along Cran Street and parallel to the river bank to the Distillery. What work has been done to inform the development of the concept design? During development of the concept design, options were considered against multiple criteria including: • reduction to flood risk and flood damages • protect the Bundaberg East area from a 100-year Figure 1 Artistic impression of the Burnett River viewing point flood event from the Burnett River Frequently asked questions • geotechnical conditions • environmental impacts What is a levee? • cultural heritage impacts A levee is an earthen bund or wall which controls water • social impacts including meeting community levels and can be designed to blend into the surrounding expectations, emergency services and back to environment. Location of a levee and costs generally business dictate the type of levee chosen for a particular situation. • impact to local residents and business; and What is a floodgate? • financial impacts including construction costs and A floodgate is a set of movable watertight steel doors future maintenance costs. built into the design of a levee. They can be left open to Who has developed the concept designs? allow local creek flood waters to escape into the river, The Bundaberg East Levee concept design has been and then closed when river levels start to rise. The gates developed by engineering firm CDM Smith who are remain closed during large flood events, and open when internationally recognised as leaders in the design and river levels return to normal. construction of levees. What is a flood door? CDM Smith evaluated a range of options and drew on A flood door is an opening that is required for vehicle the experience in the US and other countries to produce or pedestrian access through the levee wall. Flood a design for the levee which also represents best doors will remain open at all times except when flood international practice. In May 2018 CDM Smith Senior conditions are occurring. Vice President, Mike Schmidt inspected the potential site for the Bundaberg East Levee and presented the levee What feedback was received from the community design to the local community. for this project during the consultation phase in 2015 and 2016? When did site investigations take place? In summary, the community indicated general support CDM Smith undertook site investigations in November for the Bundaberg East Levee and recognised that it 2017. would have positive impacts on businesses. Not government policy Stay informed Visit: www.qld.gov.au/bundabergactionplan Email: [email protected] Bundaberg 10-year Action Plan Fact sheet — Bundaberg East Levee What was involved in the concept design phase? Generally, it is impractical to build a levee high enough to completely eliminate the possibility of overtopping. A • hydrologic and hydraulic analysis on pump risk-based approach is therefore required to balance the operations and capacity including flood gate sizing level of protection afforded by a levee (i.e. minimising • hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of Burnett River the chance of it overtopping) against the practicality and flooding cost of its construction. • analysis of historical floods to better understand the To some extent, this balance reflects the communities’ dynamics of the Burnett catchment willingness to pay now for a reduction in future impacts. • determination of the 100-year flood level, and Minor flood events are relatively common, and major development of a levee design to protect against this floods such as the January 2013 event are likely to flood level happen within any given lifetime, although extreme events are rare. • geotechnical investigations near the two creeks and proposed wall alignment. Will building the levee push water elsewhere and How will flood doors operate during a flood event? flood someone else or make flooding worse? There are a variety of methods that can achieve a The proposed levee has been designed to ensure that its watertight closure ranging from stop logs that are construction will not make flooding worse elsewhere. manually installed before and removed after a flood The hydraulic model of the Burnett River was used to event, to swinging, sliding or overhead roll-up flood address this very issue for a range of potential levee doors that can be remotely activated. options. The potential levees were modelled, and the Further assessment will be made as part of the detailed change in flood level outside of the levee was measured. design stage with feedback from the community being In general, it is possible to displace water from areas taken into consideration. like Bundaberg Creek and Kendall Flats but not from areas like the Burnett River and the North Bundaberg What is a trash rack? floodplain. A trash rack protects pumps from large debris that could The suitability of a particular location for a levee prevent the pumps working at full capacity and from depends on the existing patterns of flow during a major damaging parts in the pump. flood. What pumps are proposed for the pump station? Is there any work being done on local storm water Three pumps are proposed – two as operational and one drains? as a reserve. Bundaberg Regional Council investigates stormwater What happens if a flood event is higher than the top drainage issues across the region. Where upgrades are of the floodwall? identified, they are assessed to ensure they also address The proposed levee will reduce the risk to the local community safety and resilience. community from Burnett River flooding and has been To find out about proposed stormwater drainage designed to provide protection against large floods.

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